MMA Statement: Minnesota Physicians Warn Public to Heed State Guidance and Advice

March 20, 2020

As the state’s largest physician advocacy group, the Minnesota Medical Association strongly supports the measures taken to date by Gov. Tim Walz to slow the spread of COVID-19 and “flatten the curve.”  These seemingly extreme actions, while disruptive to our day-to-day lives, are absolutely necessary to save the lives of Minnesotans, particularly high-risk individuals, and to protect our health care system from being overwhelmed. 

Keith Stelter, MD, MMA President, urges Minnesotans to, “stay home as much as possible. Keep safe distances between yourself and others. If you have symptoms, self-quarantine yourself and seek care if symptoms worsen. Because the testing supplies are very limited in Minnesota at this time and around the world and, for most individuals, a test will not change the clinical advice of staying hydrated and taking acetaminophen for fevers. It is critical that health care workers and other emergency personnel focus their resources on patients in greatest need – avoid all unnecessary care and please call your clinic before seeking care in person.” 

It is the MMA’s greatest hope that in a few weeks from now, the public will say that measures were needed and worked because we succeeded in slowing the spread of this virus and kept our hospitals from being overrun with cases. If the public doesn’t take these directives seriously now, the future reaction could be very grim. Please, Minnesota, stay home and stay well.